The Idaho Early Years Conference is a two-day statewide conference for early childhood educators, practitioners, parents, library staff, and library trustees. This year the conference is scheduled for November 15-16, 2016 and will be held at The Riverside Hotel in Boise. There are two options for assistance:

Sandpoint, Idaho – The Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) Talking Book Service (TBS) recently presented its Postal Carrier of the Year Recognition for 2015 to Postal Carrier Vicky Shilling, of the Ponderay Post Office in Ponderay, Idaho.

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) awarded $200,000 to 47 elementary schools throughout Idaho for the purchase of books to serve students pre-kindergarten through first grade and to allow five schools to open their libraries during the summer. The funds were in the form of mini-grants, for amounts between $1,000 and $5,000, each.

On December 15, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which will replace No Child Left Behind (NCLB) effective July 1, 2017. Why is this a big deal for school libraries? Because it is the first time in years that school libraries and school librarians have been mentioned in education legislation. In ESSA they are mentioned a number of times.

A meeting of the Idaho Board of Library Commissioners will be held on Friday, August 26, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. MDT at the Idaho Commission for Libraries, 325 W. State Street, Boise, ID 83702, in the Table Rock Conference Room on the main floor.